Do Herbal Supplements and Probiotics Complement Antibiotics and Diet in the Management of SIBO? A Randomized Clinical Trial
Redondo-Cuevas L, Belloch L, Martín-Carbonell V, Nicolás A, Alexandra I, Sanchis L, et al.
Published in Nutrients, Vol. 16 (7)
Methodology
Prospective controlled study in 179 adults with hydrogen or methane SIBO at two hospitals in Valencia, Spain, classified by the Spanish medicines agency as a prospective follow-up post-authorisation study. The control group had antibiotics plus a low-FODMAP diet; the intervention group had the same plus herbal supplements (including an oregano-containing essential oil capsule), probiotics, prebiotics and glutamine. Breath tests at baseline and 3 months.
Key Findings
Gas normalisation did not differ between groups. Symptom remission was higher with the add-ons only in methane SIBO (78.4% vs 60.0%, p=0.038), not in hydrogen SIBO (71.9% vs 70.8%).
Conclusions
Adjunctive herbal supplements and probiotics did not significantly affect breath-test gas levels but may improve symptoms, mainly in methane SIBO.
Limitations
Titled a randomised trial, but the methods do not describe allocation and the arms are unbalanced (59 control vs 120 intervention). Open-label, multi-component add-on, so oregano's own contribution cannot be separated.
Supplements Studied
adjunctive herbal supplements and probiotics did not significantly impact gas levels
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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